Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs: Tora edition
by Superfluous-Slytherin
Summary: Living without a pack is tough, no matter how much they love the herd. Both Diego and his sister Tora are having trouble and decide to try and make their own way, away from the herd. But when Sid gets taken by a dinosaur, the sabers must travel to a new world and meet up with the herd again, all while Ellie is pregnant. Sequel to Saber Sister and Meltdown plus 1
1. Chapter 1

**So guys. This was originally going to go up on Friday but my sister broke her arm in two places on Wednesday night/Thursday morning so I've been having to help her out. She's fine but we've been having to help her get used to everything. I'm going to start trying to update in the Friday-Sunday range. Sometimes multiple chapters and sometimes only 1, depending on motivation. Anyway guys, enjoy the first chapter of Dawn of the Dinosaurs: Tora edition**

 **Word count: 1430**

Tora crouched in the grass, a buck on the hill in front of her. Although she couldn't see him, she knew Diego had moved around the prey, ready to strike. A low growl, barely audible, alerted her that it was time to pounce. Both tigers leapt forward with roars, the deer escaping by turning and kicking dust in their faces.

The pursuit became a full out sprint as the deer desperately attempted to escape. As they ran, Tora realized that her brother fell behind before staggering to a stop. She skidded a few feet ahead of him and returned to his side desperately. He was breathing heavily, more so than he should have been. The deer returned, mocking and laughing.

"My hooves are burning baby! They are burning! I gotta tiptoe. Eat my dust dingo!" He called as Tora snarled and swiped at him, scaring him away.

She stared at her brother as he caught his breath. He was skinnier than most sabers should have been this time of year, heck they both were. They had to limit their hunting ground, limit what animals they ate and with very little ponds around, Tora even had trouble fishing. But what she was only now realizing was that Diego hadn't been eating as much when they did manage to catch something. She shook off her shock as her brother managed to right himself.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly.

"I'm fine." He panted, still slightly out of breath. "Don't worry about it."

The female glared at him as he attempted to walk away. "I'm going to worry about it. You haven't been eating as much. We are both having trouble hunting without a pack but you seem even worse off. What's wrong?"

Diego sighed and shook his head. "It's just hard not being with a pack sometimes. I'm fine, I just feel like I'm losing my edge." As he said this, he stumbled.

"Wait here." Tora ordered.

She returned after a few minutes with some small voles. It wasn't exactly a meal but she hoped it would at least get Diego up and moving.

By the time they reached one of the clearings closer to other mammals, Diego had either started to feel better or simply hidden how bad he felt and Tora strongly suspected the second reason. It wasn't that she blamed him. Winter had been hard on both of them, neither admiring to their herbivore friends what was wrong. They slept longer and grew skinnier. Hunger was nothing new to them but it seemed to take more of a tole on Diego without a pack. Tora felt it as well, the desire to have other sabers but she reminded herself that she had something better, a herd. And yet there was something that seemed to want her to leave, return to a pack where famine wouldn't be as bad because others could provide and help.

"Diego! Tora! There you are." Manny called. "You missed the big surprise!"

"Right. Right. I'll check it out later." Diego said

Tora nodded in agreement. "I'm sure it was great Manny." She forced a smile on as she followed her brother.

In the chaos of the deer chase and Tora's realization of her brother's condition, they both had forgotten about the park that Manny had created.

"Okay. See you." Manny obviously didn't see anything wrong, much to the sabers relief. Ellie, however, was a different story.

"You know, I think there's

something bothering Diego. Tora seems a little upset as well." Ellie mused

"No, I'm sure everything's fine." Ellie glared at Manny as he attempted to brush it off.

"You should talk to Diego."

"Guys don't talk to guys about guy problems. We just punch each other on the shoulders." Manny chuckled.

"That's stupid." Ellie snapped.

"To a girl. To a guy, that's like six months of therapy." Ellie glared at him and he sighed. "Okay, okay, I'm going."

Manny reached the top of the hill and shuffled his feet awkwardly. Tora saw him look specifically at Diego and decided against staying, moving past Manny carefully. As she stopped, Ellie opened her mouth, obviously to ask if she was alright but Tora quieted her with the shake of her head. She sat carefully in the shelter of a tree and watched her brother and Manny worriedly. She had a sneaking suspicion of what her brother was planning and she was hoping that Manny could talk him out of it. Diego seemed oblivious to the mammoth so Without warning, Manny punched his shoulder with his trunk. "Why'd you do that?" Diego gasped.

"I don't know." Manny mumbled and Diego shook his head.

"So, listen," Manny started awkwardly. "Ellie thinks there's something bothering you. I told her…"

"Actually," Diego cut him off. "I've been thinking that soon it might be time for me to head out." He glanced down the hill at Tora, who was cleaning her fur and could see her ribs were starting to show through her fur, and he knew his were as well. "Me and Tora." He added.

"Okay. So I'll just tell her that you're fine.

It was nothing." Manny said distractedly.

"Look, who are we kidding, Manny? I'm losing my edge. And Tora doesn't want to admit it but she's having trouble as well. Besides, I'm not really built for chaperoning play dates.."

"What are you talking about?" Manny asked in confusion.

"Having a family, that's huge, and I'm happy for you, and Tora's estatic that you and Ellie are happy, but that's your adventure, not ours."

"So you don't want to be around my kid?" Manny asked angrily.

"No, no, no. That's…" Diego tried to defend himself. "You're taking this the wrong way."

"No, go." Manny growled angrily. "Go find some adventure with your sister, Mr. Adventure Guy. Don't let my boring domestic life hit you in the butt on the way out." Tora growled softly at the mammoth, having heard the last part of the argument.

"Isn't Ellie supposed to be the one

with the hormonal imbalance?" Diego asked her with a joking tone as he padded down the hill to meet her.

"Manny, wait! No one has to leave." Sid cried.

"So?" Ellie asked hopefully.

"That's why guys don't talk to guys." Manny snapped.

"Why? What happened?"

"Diego and Tora are leaving." Manny stomped past his mate, who stared at the sabers in shock before following her husband.

"This should be the best time of our lives.

We're having a baby!" Sid cried, attempting to stall the sabers.

"No, Sid. They're having a baby." Tora corrected.

"Yeah, but we're a herd, a family." Sid whined.

Tora's ears pressed against her head in regret as her brother spoke up. "Look, things have changed. Manny has other priorities now. Face it, Sid. We had a great run, but now it's time to move on." He sighed.

"So it's just the three of us." Sid smiled.

Diego frowned and Tora spoke up, seeing her brother's discomfort. "No, Sid, it's not the three of us."

"Crash and Eddie are coming with us?" He asked innocently.

Tora shook her head as Diego started walking and she followed him.

"Just Crash? Just Eddie?"

Diego paused and looked back at him. "Bye, Sid." He called. Tora turned and hugged the sloth quickly before catching up with her brother.

She had hoped things would end differently but even she had to admit that this could be what they needed. They walked for the rest of the short day before settling into a small alcove of roots and fallen limbs. Tora lay her head on her brother gently as he drifted to sleep and stared at the sky through the tree branches.

It didn't happen often, but she started thinking about the pack. Not Sotos pack, but the one she grew up in. Where there was never a thought of living with other species, only sabers. Life was simpler, it was all most sabers knew. But as the necklace shifted against her skin, she smiled. The necklace had been the turning point. Had Diego been able to grab the baby, they would have returned to the pack victoriously and never met Manny and Sid. And now, the child was safe, the pack was gone and they were alone. The herd was several miles away, most likely going about their normal business.

Tora couldn't stop the pang of loneliness in her heart before she moved her head closer to Diegos. She reminded herself that she wasn't alone, she had her brother. That could be all she ever needed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Another quick chapter. Writing Buck is so fun already. I love it. Also, yes, everything in this chapter is necessary. Obviously Diego is going to work through things in this story because he has to "get his edge back" but I also gave Tora something that she will have to conquer as well. It will (hopefully) be developed in the next chapter or so. Either way, enjoy!**

 **Word count: 1771**

Tora was awake before her brother, something that rarely happened. The sun was just peaking over the horizon when her eyes opened. She pushed herself to her feet and away from her brother as quietly as possible. She pushed her way out of the small dip and began searching for food. It didn't take long before she found a herd of antelope.

She crouched low in the grass, determined to provide some food for her brother. Before she could get very close, the wind changed, carrying her scent towards them, spooking the herd. Tora snarled in annoyance and took off after the antelope. As she ran, the antelope shot into a small grove of trees, and she turned to follow them. Her paws slipped on ice and she skidded into a tree, her shoulder slamming against it, her paw catching in a root.

Her sides were heaving as she righted herself and watched the animals disappear into the forest. She shook out her fur and winced. Her shoulder has already starting to throb from her weight. She shook her head in annoyance and turned back towards where she and her brother had slept. It took her a few strides before she found a way to walk well on her shoulder without limping. She knew it was no serious injury, merely an annoyance, but she had learned in the pack to show no weakness. If they were still with the herd it would have been different but it was just her and Diego now.

As she returned to where she left her brother sleeping, she was surprised to see he was gone. Her ears flattened in worry before he rounded another tree.

She instantly relaxed and smiled when she saw he was carrying two rabbits.

"There you are." He said as he places them on the ground. "I was beginning to think you got lost."

Tora rolled her eyes. "Nope. Only thing I lost was a few antelope."

Diego frowned but shrugged. "I'll go with you next time. I need to get my edge back."

Tora nodded silently and they ate quickly. Diego chose which direction to travel and they continued along the path quietly. The silence was comfortable as both sabers were lost in thought.

Tora was silently scolding herself for losing the antelope and getting herself hurt. Every once in awhile she had to remind herself to walk normally. She didn't want to add to Diego's problems and make him worry about her.

Unbeknownst to her, Diego was already worried. He knew she was beating herself up for missing the antelope and he didn't blame her. They had both changed since they left the pack. It had been hard for both of them and he couldn't help but wonder if things were different.

Suddenly, a deer ran past them, scrambling in fear. "RUN!" He cried.

Diego rolled his eyes. "Don't you have anything better to do?" He snapped.

Suddenly the ground shook and the sabers glanced up to see a giant foot about to land on them. Tora yelped and Diego gasped as they both scrambled out of the way. The dinosaur continued past them without even a second glance. However, a familiar scream reached the sabers.

"Sid?" Diego asked in confusion.

"Why does a dinosaur have Sid?" Tora asked. Diego shrugged but watched the dinosaur disappear into the trees.

"You know we have to go help him." Tora said, already heading down the trail.

Diego nodded and followed her. They followed the tracks to a hole in the ground. They cautiously made their way down, managing to get across a large dinosaur skeleton with little trouble. They found themselves on a ledge, overlooking an entire world of dinosaurs.

"They aren't extinct." Tora breathed. "They've been here, under the ice, this whole time."

Diego frowned as he sniffed the ground. There were no tracks and the scents were confusing. Tora moved off to the side to search for other tracks. A few small dinosaurs were scrambling in and out of the plants but there were no scents that she could track. Screams reached her ears, screams that were unique to a certain two possums.

She turned to see the herd running from a large dinosaur.

"Diego, what are you doing here?" Manny asked in confusion as they ran.

"Sightseeing!" Diego said sarcastically as he dodged a tree. "We are looking for Sid, same as you."

"We?" Manny asked.

Tora finally managed to catch up enough that she could land beside Diego and kept running. "Hi." She called to the mammoth.

"Well! Aren't you two noble!" Manny snapped.

"This is not the time, guys! We need all the help we can get!" Ellie yelled as they found themselves trapped on yet another ledge.

Diego turned and leapt at the dinosaur, roaring at the top of his lungs. The dino roared back, twice as big as Diego scrambled back to Tora.

"Never mind." He gasped.

"I could've told you that was a bad idea." Tora snorted.

The Dino's tail got caught between two rocks and the herd began searching for an escape. Ellie picked up a plant and began baiting another dino with a long neck closer.

"Here, boy! Here! Come on! Good boy! Come on!" She called. "Climb on."

"Are you nuts? We're not getting on that thing!" Manny yelled.

"It's either this dinosaur or that one!" Ellie pointed to the first Dino which had managed to get its tail free.

"Pregnant lady wants to live! Yabba-dabba-doo!" She called as she and the possums slid down the Dino's neck.

"I'm with her." Tora said as she jumped after Ellie.

She heard the boys follow her with screams. She landed awkwardly, jolting her shoulder even more but she straightened as the boys landed beside them.

"Don't ever yabba-dabba do that again!" Manny gasped.

As Manny straightened, several dinosaurs encircled them. "I feel so puny." He breathed.

"How do you think I feel?" Crash asked.

A strange horn caught the attention of the herd and the dinosaurs. A weasel stood on a branch, lowering the horn. He let out a battle cry and swung on a vine, only to have it snap and send him flying out of sight. The Dino's started to close in around the mammals. Manny pressed himself closer to Ellie worriedly.

Suddenly, the weasel landed in front of them, throwing smoke bombs at the dinosaurs before yelling, "Take cover!"

A large cloud of smoke enclosed them as the weasel pushed the herd into the bushes quickly. When the smoke cleared, the dinosaurs were left in confusion. The herd hid in large groups of plants, Manny and Ellie holding some like trees, Crash and Eddie covering their body in leaves, Diego with the leaves around his head like a mane, and Tora lying on the ground with ferns and flowers on her head and tucked into the necklace. Eventually, Buck emerged from his hiding place and the herd was able to move. Tora and Diego shook the leaves off of them as the possums pranced forward.

"Dude, you're awesome! You're like the brother I never had!"

"Me, too!"

The weasel threw his strange knife in front of the possums, halting them. He began sniffing them and picked them up by their tails, holding them upside down.

"Can we keep him?" Crash begged.

The weasel jumped onto Manny's face, making him scream. "Buck!" The weasel yelled.

"What?"

"The name's Buck. Short for Buckminster. Long for "Buh."" He said, examining Manny's trunk.

He moved onto Diego and Tora, examining Diegos teeth. "A little dull." He noted.

Diego pulled his face away as Buck began examining Tora. He flicked her ear and she shook her head, knocking him off.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, landing on the ground in front of everyone.

"Our friend was taken by a dinosaur." Ellie told him.

"Well!" The weasel smiled. "He's dead." Tora blinked as Buck continued. "Welcome to my world. Now go home." He waved. "Off you pop."

"Not without Sid." Ellie insisted.

"Ellie's right." Tora agreed.

"Ellie, wait. Maybe the deranged hermit has a point." Manny said cautiously.

"Manny, we came this far, we're gonna find him." Ellie frowned.

Tora turned her head to see Diego searching the ground. She moved towards him and saw what he was looking at.

"I got tracks." He called.

"Let's go." Ellie said enthusiastically.

Buck appeared in front of them, hanging from a vine. "If you go in there, you'll find your friend. In the afterlife." He said dramatically.

"How do you know, O Great and Wisely Weasely One?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah." Crash agreed.

Buck dropped onto the track and licked the mud, chewing it before spitting it out, much to Tora's disgust. "Mommy dinosaur carrying her three babies and some floppy green thing." He said.

"Yeah, we're friends with the floppy green thing." Manny informed him.

"You got all that from the tracks?" Diego asked in astonishment.

"No. Not really. I saw them come through here earlier." Buck said. "She's headed for Lava Falls. That's where they care for the newborns. To get there, you've got to go

through the Jungle of Misery, across the Chasm of Death, to the Plates of Woe." He said, drawing a map in the ground.

"Woah." The possums gasped.

"Okay!" Manny said, cutting off the weasel from saying anything else. "Good luck with the slow descent into madness. We're gonna go now."

"I think he's already there." Tora smirked. Diego nodded and they started walking.

Buck landed on Manny's tusks, stopping him. "What, you think this is

some sort of tropical getaway? You can't protect your mate, mate." He warned. "What are you gonna do with those flimsy tusks when you run into the beast?"

"I call him," he paused and the herd waited in anticipation. "Rudy."

Oh, good. Good. I was worried it was something intimidating, like "Sheldon" or "Tim."" Manny joked.

"Wait. You mean there's something bigger than Mommy Dinosaur?" Crash asked worriedly.

"Aye."

"Eye?"

"Aye, aye! He's the one that gave me this!" Buck said, pointing to his eyepatch.

"He gave you that patch?" Eddie gasped.

"For free? That's so cool." Crash laughed.

"Yeah. Maybe he'll give us one, too."

Buck stared at them in confusion and Manny nodded as he walked past. "Welcome to my world."

The herd continued to walk as Buck called after them. "Abandon all hope, he who enters there!"

"All right! We get it!" Manny snapped. "Doom and despair, yada, yada, yada."

The weasel frowned as the strange group disappeared into the forest of misery, obviously ignorant to what was in there.


	3. Chapter 3

**Enjoy this chapter guys. Can't promise another chapter this weekend because I have no wifi.**

 **Word count: 2016**

The herd forged deeper into the strange jungle silently. As they walked, a tortured scream rang through the air.

"Sounds like a jungle of misery to me." Crash said nervously.

Tora was walking beside Ellie, who was slower than normal due to her pregnancy. Even on the trail, it was difficult to walk normally. Vines seemed to purposefully wrap around Tora's legs and try to trip her. Her shoulder soon grew even more sore with the constant movement but she ignored it.

"Hold on." Ellie said suddenly, pausing in the trail.

Tora glanced around, feeling eyes on her but Manny was already starting to panic. "Why? What's wrong? Peaches?" He asked.

"What? No! It's just I got a funny feeling." Ellie said, glancing around and Tora nodded slowly.

"You're hungry! Low blood sugar. There's some fruit!" He said said, moving towards a single fruit that hung from a vine.

"No! Manny!" Ellie tried to stop him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Diego warned. "This isn't exactly your playground."

"Like I'm really gonna be afraid of a pretty flower." Manny scoffed.

Manny grabbed the fruit gently. Suddenly, vines wrapped around Manny and Diego's legs and lifted them in the air.

"Bet you didn't see that coming." Diego scowled.

The leaves started closing around the boys as they struggled.

"Manny!" Ellie cried.

"For the record, I blame you for this." Diego snapped.

"Stop eating our friends, plant!" Eddie yelled, as both possums ran forward, only to be chased back by the vines. One swung near Tora and Ellie making Tora lash out instinctively. The vine drew back before lashing forward, scraping Tora's shoulder as it buried in the ground.

"That's it! I'm tearing it up from the roots!" Ellie growled as Tora winced.

"Do that, and it will clamp shut forever." An accented voice informed her, as she turned to see Buck leaning on his knife.

"What?" Ellie asked in shock.

"How do we save them then?" Tora asked in shock.

"All right, preggers, don't get your trunk in a knot. And you keep your fur on kitty cat. I'll have them out of there before they're digested."

"Digested?" Manny cried in shock from inside the plant.

"They'll be nothing but bones in three minutes. Well, maybe five for the fat one." Buck said

"I'm not fat!" Manny cried and Tora couldn't help but smile.

"Help! Someone help us!" The boys suddenly cried.

"Hurry!" Ellie begged.

"It's time to get Buck Wild." Buck said before running forward with a cry and leaping into the plant, only to get stuck halfway in the opening.

"Who's fat now?" Manny said, obviously smirking.

After a few seconds, the plant began sinking down into the ground. "No!" Ellie cried and Tora purposefully moved in front of her to stop her if she tried to run forward. After a few seconds, the plant broke open, rocketing to males into the sky. Manny landed with a thump, Diego on top of him, while Buck floated down gently with a leaf.

"Tourists." He scoffed.

"Barfed on by a plant." Crash said, examining the green goo that covered him and his brother.

"Awesome!" They both cried.

Ellie and Tora made their way towards their friends and Ellie pushed Manny gently. "Say something." She urged.

"Thanks for saving us." Manny said awkwardly.

"Buck, will you help us find the floppy green thing?" Ellie asked.

"That's not necessary!" Manny cried as he stood up, throwing Diego off his back.

"Yes, it is." Ellie snapped.

"Shes right you know." Tora said pointedly as she helped Diego to his paws.

"All right, I'll help you. But I got rules." He said seriously. "Rule number one, always listen to Buck. Rule number two, stay in the middle of the trail. Rule number three," the weasel paused and the herd leaned forward in anticipation. "he who has gas

travels at the back of the pack." He said finally, making Eddie sigh and move to the back. . "Come on, then. Chop, chop!" He said, leading them off.

"We should all have our heads examined." Manny scoffed.

"That's rule number four! Now let's go find your friend!"

Tora moved beside Diego and watched him for a few moments. "Are you alright?" She whispered.

Diego nodded and then glanced at her. "Why are you limping?" He asked.

Immediately, the girl straightened and shrugged. "One of the vines hit my shoulder nothing big." She said.

Diego shrugged and accepted it, much to her relief. She hated her brother worrying about her, especially when they were already in danger.

"Do you think the beast will find Sid? Or more importantly, us?" Crash asked worriedly.

"Rudy? Are you joking? He's relentless. He knows all, sees all, eats all." Buck said dramatically. "So that's a yes."

As Buck turned around, a large pair of eyes seemed to stare at his back. The herd watched it nervously and Buck turned towards the eyes.

"Hey! Get off my lawn! Go on! Shoo!" He yelled, waving his hands. The eyes moved, revealing that it was a large butterfly with patterns on its wings. It flew off and Buck laughed. "I knew that guy when he was a caterpillar. You know, before he came out."

The herd began following him, the two sabers drawing ahead in their customary position to walk beside the weasel.

"So you're just living down here by your wits, all on your own, no responsibilities?" Diego asked.

"Seems pretty fun. Dangerous, but fun. No rules?" Tora smiled.

"Not a one. It's incredible. No dependents, no limits. It's the greatest life a single guy could have." He glanced at Tora before adding, "or girl of course."

"Hear that? This is my kind of place." Diego said to Manny.

Tora frowned worriedly. She had to admit, this world seemed fun and she didn't doubt that if they stayed, it would be a never ending adventure but she didn't like the idea of leaving the world above. She had been fine with leaving the herd because she'd assumed that they would one day return. But staying down here, that was completely different.

"Hello?" Buck said, picking up a rock and speaking into it. Yeah... No, look, I can't talk right now. Yeah. No, I'm trying to recover a dead sloth. Yeah. No, they're following me! I know! They think I'm crazy. No... Okay, we're going into the Chasm of Death. I'm... I'm going to lose you. Yeah, I love you, too. All right, good-bye. Good-bye! Good-bye. Okay! Follow me." He said finally, throwing the rock across his shoulder and starting to walk away.

"That's you in three weeks." Manny predicted.

As they continued to walk, Tora sighed. "Diego, would we really stay here?" She asked.

Her brother shrugged. "It would be wonderful down here. We could have our own life."

Tora flicked her ear and attempted to leap up onto a rock to follow Buck but she slipped slightly. Her shoulder pulsed in protest and Diego frowned. He came up beside her and nudged her shoulder, making her gasp involuntarily.

"I thought you said it was nothing." He said worriedly.

"It is!" She insisted but Diego shook his head.

"What really happened?" He stared at her until she dipped her head.

"I slipped and hit a tree when I was hunting this morning. Hit my shoulder pretty hard." She said sheepishly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He hissed as they started walking again, not wanting to lose Buck.

"It's nothing. I didn't want to worry you." She said.

Before Diego could respond, they reached a large pit with green gas floating in it.

"So, why do they call it the Chasm of Death?"

"Well, we tried "Big Smelly Crack," but that just made everybody giggle." Buck said.

"Well, now what?" Manny questioned.

Buck jumped up, and cut a series of vines that dropped a large dinosaur rib cage down in front of them.

"Madames." He said, motioning for the two females to come forward.

"She is not doing that!" Manny snapped, stopping Ellie while Diego nodded in agreement.

"Ba ba be ba ba. Rule number one? Come on, mammoth! You're supposed to have a good memory." Buck snapped.

"Always listen to Buck." Ellie said, moving into the cage. Tora laughed and followed her carefully.

"Now, eyes forward, back straight, and… Oh, yes, breathe in the toxic fumes and you'll probably die." Buck said quickly.

"Toxic fumes?" Ellie gasped.

"Say what now?" Tora snapped.

"Just another day in paradise." He sighed happily.

"Wait!" Manny cried.

"Geronimo!" Buck cried happily as Tora and Ellie took large breaths.

The rib cage shot down the vine before bumping to a stop at the other ledge. Tora let out the breath she'd been holding as they both stepped off. Ellie was smiling broadly and after Tora registered the firm ground beneath her feet she laughed in relief and there was a small bit of crazy underneath that only made her smile wider.

"Ellie, you okay?" Manny asked worriedly as the cage began returning to them.

"You have to try this!" Ellie yelled up to him.

"It's amazing!" Tora added.

"All right, now pile on, everyone! Couldn't be easier!" Buck told them.

The cage started moving, slower than the first time and it eventually stopped about halfway over the pit.

"Don't panic!" Buck called as he strained on the vine. "Just some technical difficulties. Keep holding it in, boys!"

"I can't take it anymore!" Eddie cried as he finally let out the breath he'd been holding.

"He breathed it!" Crash said. "And now I'm breathing it!"

The two possums began to start coughing and Tora couldn't help but lean forward in fear and she noticed Ellie's face was filled with worry.

"Hey! We're not dead!" Eddie said, his voice having gone up several octaves.

"You sound ridiculous!" Crash laughed.

"Me? You should hear you!"

"All right, all right. And a one, and a two… Christmas, Christmas time is here!" the two possums sang.

"Stop! Are you crazy?" Manny mumbled, not letting out his breath.

"It's not poison." Diego said, his voice turned squeaky much like the possums before he burst out laughing.

"That is so disturbing!" Crash laughed

"Stop laughing! All of you!" Buck cried into the casm.

"'Stop laughing, all of you'!" Manny mocked. ""What's rule number one?""

"They're just laughing. What's so bad about that?" Ellie asked.

"Honestly. Laughing isn't anything bad." Tora agreed.

"They died laughing!" Buck snapped, pointing downwards where there were several dinosaur skeletons perched on the cliff, with their jaws open as though still laughing.

"Stop laughing!" Ellie cried.

You know what's funny, though? We're trying to save Sid, and now we're all gonna die!" Crash laughed.

"And I don't even like Sid!" Eddie added.

"Who does? He's an idiot!"

Thanks for getting me into this mess. It's the most fun and the best thing I've done in years!" Tora's ears flattened against her head at her brother's words. Had he really been unhappy in the herd for that long? Why had he never told her?

"Thank you for deserting the herd! That was totally super!"Manny yelled before they all burst out into laughter again.

Buck climbed up onto the skeleton and began moving the cage, only to have Manny try to tickle him. "Stop that!" He cried before covering his mouth, realizing he'd breathed in the gas. "Don't you see? We're all gonna die!" He snapped, his voice changing in the last sentence.

Tora frowned and began examining the vine, trying to find a way to pull it.

"We gotta do everything, huh?" Ellie sighed, glancing at her and then her stomach.

Tora moved to the back of the tree and began pushing it with her paws while Ellie yanked the vine, and the tree sprung free and fell, sending the ribcage moving again.

"Sometimes I wet my bed!" Crash laughed.

"That's all right! Sometimes I wet your bed!" Eddie laughed.

The cage crashed into the ground, sending the males falling onto the ground, still laughing.

"I'm not sure how much of that you could hear." Manny said awkwardly.

"I heard all of it." Ellie frowned.

"Right. Yeah." Manny said softly.

As Diego stood, Tora glared at him. "And you get mad at me for not telling you anything." She sighed before turning and moving away.

"You wet my bed?" Crash asked his brother.

"That was gas talk, dude." Eddie laughed nervously.

"Well, better get moving." Manny said.

"Aren't we forgetting something?" Tora asked, jerking her head towards the chasm where Buck was still swinging down the vine.

"Here, Rudy, Rudy, Rudy!" He laughed. "I'm so lonely."


	4. Chapter 4

**So sorry for missing some uploads! School is starting soon and I've been having to babysit my neighbors kids, I've actually been productive in planning and starting another story and I finished my summer reading project, so I've been busy. Also, yes I deleted this, there were a few bigger mistakes that I needed to fix and a few consistency errors from the last chapter. Oh well, you live and you learn.**

 **Word count: 1818**

The herd had been walking for a while when Buck had paused, finding several small dinosaur skulls on the ground.

"They'll never survive. It's dangerous by day." He made one of the skulls that he'd shoved on his hand say.

"But it's even worse at night."

"Plus, their guide is a lunatic." He made a skull chime in.

"What? You mean, Buck? He's wacko!"

"I am not!" He snapped in his normal voice.

"Totally bonkers."

"And his feet smell." He made another skull on his foot laugh.

"Shut up!"

"You shut up."

"Oh, you little…" he started fighting his foot, slapping it and rolling on the ground as he wrestled it. "Gotcha!"

"He's strangling his own foot." Manny observed.

"Well, this is entertaining." Tora smiled as she sat down, watching the 'fight'.

"Shouldn't we get moving?" Manny asked.

"What? And give Rudy a midnight snack? Not likely!" He made the skull say.

"The skull's right. Take a load off, mammals. We'll camp here." He pointed to the ground deftly. "Now, who's hungry?"

"I am!" The skull 'said'

"You don't need the calories!"

The rest of the few hours of light were spent gathering firewood and food. Tora and Diego managed to find a few strange rabbit like creatures that tasted slightly funny but Buck assured them were completely safe. Eventually, after the sabers had satisfied their hunger and cleaned all traces from their fur, they settled into a small clearing with the rest of the herd to hear Buck's stories.

"There I was, my back against the wall,no way out, perched on the razor's edge of oblivion, staring into the eye of the Great White Beast."

The herd listened in wonder as Buck told of Rudy clawing out his eye and climbing a tree to escape him, only to find himself with the Dino's jaws closes around him.

"Were you killed?" Eddie gasped worriedly, earning an eye roll from Manny.

"Sadly, yes. But I lived!" Buck said before continuing dramatically. "Never had I felt so alive than when I was so close to death."

"Just before Rudy could suck me down his gullet, I grabbed hold of that gross, pink, fleshy thing that dangles at the back of the throat. I hung onto that sucker, and I swung back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth, and back and forth, and back." He paused and the herd found themselves leaning forward in anticipation.

"and forth, and back and forth," he continued. "until finally, I let go

and I shot right out of his mouth!" He tossed his knife in the air and it glinted dramatically. "I may have lost an eye that day, but I got this!"

"Rudy's tooth!" Crash cried.

"Dang!" His brother added.

" It's like the old saying, "An eye for a tooth, "a nose for a chin, a butt for a..." Well, it's an old saying, but it's not a very good one." Buck said, earning a laugh from Tora.

"You are Super Weasel!"

"Ultra-Weasel!"

"Diesel Weasel!" The sabers cries in unison before glancing at each other in surprise and laughing.

Buck did a strange dance move and twisted himself before giving both sabers high fives. Manny glared at them and their ears flattened against their head nervously.

"What? He is." Diego defended.

"Since when can you read each other's thoughts?" Eddie asked in confusion and Tora laughed.

"Don't you remember? Us cats can read minds." She smirked, remembering what Sid had said when he first met them and the possums laughed nervously, obviously not knowing if she was joking or not.

"Now let me tell you about the time I used a sharpened clam shell to turn a T-Rex into a T-Rachel." Buck said happily.

"Yes, master!" Both possums cried.

"That's enough fairy tales for one night." Manny stopped them. "Come on, Ellie, you should rest now."

"Life of the party." Ellie rolled her eyes.

"All right, you guys get some shut-eye.

I'll keep watch." Buck said deftly.

"Don't worry, Buck. We got this. Night time is possum time." Eddie said as he and his brother held sticks like swords.

"Yeah! We own the night, baby." Crash added.

Less than an hour later, the possums were alseep, as was most of the others in the herd while Buck was carving a statue of Rudy. A roar rang out and he glanced at the statue.

"Good night, Rudy." He said fondly.

Diego's ear twitched and Tora stiffened at the sound but they both remained still. She wasn't in her customary position because of her aching shoulder but she was pressed against Diego's side. After a few minutes, Manny and Ellie woke up and began talking.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Ellie asked in concern.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to keep you safe, and now you're in the most dangerous place in the world." Manny confessed.

"Hey. This isn't your fault. It's bigger than both of us. We have to get Sid." Ellie reassured him

"Yeah, but if I had been a better friend to him, we wouldn't be here."

"Better friend?" Buck chimed in suddenly. "Are you plucking my whiskers? You risked your life, your mate and your baby to save your buddy." He glanced at Ellie and said quickly, "Not the best husband or father, but a darn good friend!"

Tora felt Diego sigh next to her and her eyes flickered open slightly and she licked his ear reassuring before laying her head back down.

Suddenly, two squirrels raced through the clearing, jumping on both sabers and earning cries of annoyance from both of them.

The sabers were awake at dawn, listening to the strange new sounds of the jungle. After everyone was awake, they were back on the trail, slowly learning to recognize the mother Dino's scent.

"Everybody, stop!" Buck cried suddenly. "I smell something."

He paused and picked up a tuff of fur on his knife. "It smells like a buzzard's butt fell off and then got sprayed on by a bunch of skunks."

"That's Sid." Diego confirmed.

"Can't miss that scent." Tora sighed, wrinkling her nose.

"Mammals, we have ourselves a crime scene. A tuft of fur. Half-eaten carcass! Hunk of... No! Broccoli." The weasel stifled a barf before looking around dramatically.

"Here's what I think happened. Dinosaur attacks Sid, Sid fights back with piece of broccoli, leaving dinosaur…. a vegetable."

"Are you nuts? Sid's not violent." Diego said, shaking his head. "Or coordinated."

"He can barely wake up in the morning!" Tora said, looking at the weasel incredulously.

"Yeah. And where's the dinosaur?" Manny asked.

"All right. All right, good point. Theory two. Sid's eating broccoli, dinosaur eats Sid, dinosaur steps on broccoli, leaving broccoli a vegetable."

"Buck, when exactly did you lose your mind?" Manny asked with the roll of her eyes.

"Three months ago. I woke up one morning married to a pineapple. An ugly pineapple. But I loved her." He sighed lovingly.

Tora laughed and shook her head before seeing her brother sniffing around and she joined in. A strange scent, much like the mother Dino but stronger and smelling of anger had joined the mix.

"Buck, I think you missed a little clue over here." Diego called as the sabers examined what was in front of them. Plates that were obviously meant to be stacked were crushed and broken against the ground.

"Well, your friend might be alive, but not for long. Rudy's closing in." He warned.

"Whoa!" the possums said in unison.

"You got it. The Plates of Woe. Or whatever's left of them." Buck said. "Single file, everyone! Head for Lava Falls."

"What's that sound?" Eddie asked worriedly.

Tora and Diego pricked their ear and listened to the strange howling of the wind as Buck spoke.

"It's the wind. It's speaking to us." He whispered.

"What's it saying?" Crash asked, glancing around.

"I don't know. I don't speak Wind."

Ellie had fallen behind, and was standing still in the middle of the path. Tora frowned and glanced over her shoulder at the female.

"Ellie!" Manny called in worry.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Ellie said. "I'm just taking my…"

Suddenly, the ground shifted under their feet and sent the animals scrambling.

"Ellie!" Manny yelled

"Manny!"

"Get to the ledge!" The female obeyed as the other animals landed hard on the ground.

"Ellie!" Manny questioned.

"Ellie! Where are you?" The possums cried.

"It's okay! I'm up here!" She called.

"Hang on, Ellie! We'll be right there!"

Suddenly, a loud roar echoed through the air, sending shivers through the sabers, who recognized the sound of a crazed hunger from their days in the packs. Although much louder, it held the same tone of anger as sabers often held during a famine or crisis.

"Rudy." Buck gasped.

"Rudy?" The possums cowered against each other.

Another cry, this one of fear, rolled through the air.

"Never heard that kind of dino before." Buck said in confusion.

"That's Sid!" Tora cried.

"We'll have to move fast." Diego said, already attempting to find a way back up. "Manny! Pineapples!" Ellie cried desperately.

"Pineapples?" Buck asked in confusion.

"She gets cravings."

"Pomegranates? Grapefruits! Nectarines?"

"She's ordering a fruit cocktail." Diego chuckled.

"Peaches!" Ellie cried suddenly.

"Peaches? Peaches! The baby! What, now?" Manny said, starting to pace worriedly.

"This? Not good." Diego said and Tora nodded.

"The baby's coming? Did you guys hear that? 'Cause sometimes I imagine it in my head, but…"

"Can you try to hold it in?" Crash asked his sister.

Tora glared at him and Ellie snapped, "Can somebody slap him for me?"

Eddie smacked his brother and smirked. "Done and done."

"Just sit tight. We're coming!" Manny promised.

"There's only one thing to do." Buck said. "Possums, you're with me. Manny, you take care of Ellie until we get back."

"What? No, you can't leave now!" Manny cried in panic. "She's off the trail! What about rule number two?"

"Rule number five says you can ignore rule number two if there's a female involved, or possibly a cute dog." Buck said, quieting Manny. "You know I just make up these rules as I go along."

"Yeah, but, but she's... You have to…" Manny stuttered.

"Manny, it's all right." Diego said. "We got your back." He said and Tora nodded.

"Now you're talking! Come on, lads." Buck began walking away.

"Take care of our sister, mister." Eddie said seriously.

"No pressure." Crash laughed.

"What does that mean, "I got your back"? I mean, I'd rather they covered the front. That's where all the good stuff is, isn't it?" Buck asked the possums as they moved away.

"We gotta move." Diego said as he and Tora began leaping to the plates and Manny followed them. Tora stumbled a few times when she landed but she ignored it. Ellie and the baby were more important.

"Okay. All right. It's okay. Daddy's... Daddy's coming." Ellie murmured. "I gotta say, sweetheart, you really got timing."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! Four core classes in one semester means a lot of homework and little time for writing. This is not the last chapter of this story! Yes this covers everything in the movie but I am going to try and do at least one more chapter. It will either be a oneshot or several oneshots that will take place before Continental drift and will most likely provide background for Tora and Diego, as well as some hopefully fluffy moment. Enjoy!**

 **Word count: 2936**

The two sabers and the mammoth had started scaling the rocks carefully, but a strange sense of being watched had swept over the sabers. Both would occasionally pause and glance back but they couldn't afford to stay still for longer than necessary.

"There she is!" Diego said.

Manny cried, "Ellie!"

"Manny!"

Hissing came from below them and the sabers fur spiked as they noticed several small Dino's climbing towards Ellie.

"I need to get to her!"

"Listen. We'll protect Ellie." Diego said seriously. "You stop those guys."

"But…"

"Manny, if they reach her, it'll be too late." Tora said, not taking her eyes off of the Dino's. "You have to trust us."

"All right. Let's do it." Manny decided.

Diego let out a roar that made a few of the creatures pause as he took off, Tora on his heels. They scrambled through the rocks after one of the lead Dino's. It leapt onto a higher platform and for a moment was out of sight. Diego leapt onto a small twisted tree and clawed his way up but Tora hesitated, her already aching shoulder filling her with doubt. As her brother reached the top, she shook herself and leapt up the tree easily. When she landed she streaked after her brother, catching up easily, her pain forgotten. Harsh breathing filled her ears as she noticed her brother falling behind. She glanced over her shoulder worriedly as she kept running. Diego could see his sister in his slightly blurred vision but knew that she would be no match for several Dino's, not when she was injured and protecting Ellie. He shook his head and roared, catching up with Tora who shot him a strained smile. The Dino was on the ledge with Ellie when both sabers pounced, Diego knocking him off the ledge.

"My paws are burning, baby! They're burning! I got to tip-toe. Tippy-toe. Tippy-toe." Diego said excitedly and Tora laughed breathlessly.

"Excuse me, twinkle toes! Giving birth here." Ellie cried before she moaned in pain.

"Right. Sorry. You okay?" Diego asked and Tora rolled her eyes.

"Am I okay? Do you know anything about childbirth?"

"No, not really, but Manny's coming." Diego assured her.

Tora nudged past Diego and sniffed Ellie gently. There was no scent of blood which was good. She had very little knowledge of childbirth but she could remember when a female in the pack gave birth and her mother had her help. Ellie's breathing showed the contractions were getting closer together which worried her. She could hear Manny keeping the Dino's below at bay but the smell of blood that came with the child and the prospect of a newborn would draw them closer.

"Diego, I'm scared. Can I hold your paw?" Ellie asked.

Diego blinked awkwardly as Tora returned to his side. Her eyes lit up and she nodded at her brother and nudged him forward. She remembered the female in her pack biting a tough piece of deer hide to help with the pain but since Ellie was a mammoth, holding something in her trunk would help, even if it was Diego's paw.

"Yeah, of course." The she-mammoths trunk curled around his paw and he winced. "Just go with the pain."

Ellie screamed and let go of Diegos paw.

"It's just a contraction." He tried to soothe her.

"No!" She pointed behind them and both sabers turned to see a Dino on the ledge.

Diego leapt forward and knocked it off the ledge as Tora remained crouched protectively in front of Ellie. Diego scrambled back as several more appeared. Diego started swiping them off the edge as Tora snarled. She only had to pounce on two of them, as they got too close to Ellie. Both sabers were on autopilot at this point, their instincts to protect a member of their pack, or herd, telling them what to do.

The remaining Dino's were either occupied by Manny or hadn't gotten close enough to be a threat so Diego returned to Ellie.

"Don't worry about a thing. It's going great." Diego attempted to reassure the female.

"You're doing fine." Tora smiled. She placed a paw on Ellie's stomach gently. She could feel the baby moving and she tilted her head as she pulled her paw away. It was different than a saber cub but she was pretty sure the calf was facing the right way.

"Excuse me." Diego said as another Dino appeared over the edge. "Just keep breathing!" He called.

"Diego!" Ellie gasped as he was dragged back by another Dino. Tora snarled and leapt forward, knocking one away from him but he was still stuck with two more.

"Just breathe! That's the important thing." He said before he was knocked over by a third dino.

Tora glanced back at Ellie worriedly before leaping down and helping her brother get free.

As they scrambled back to Ellie, their movement dislodged a large branch from above and it landed beside them, spooking them greatly. Diego returned to allow Ellie to hold his paw and Tora returned to Ellie's side. She gently massaged the female's stomach, which seemed to ease her pain slightly. Two more Dino's appeared and Diego growled. Ellie however, held onto his paw as yet another contraction came. Diego managed to position himself with his back legs on the branch, pushing the Dino's back.

"You can do it! Push! Push!" Ellie said.

"I can't do it!"

"Just one more big push!"

"You have no idea what I'm going through!" Diego snapped and Tora glared over at her brother, as did Ellie.

"Okay, forget I said that. Let's do this together."

Diego pushed and sent the small dinosaurs over the edge.

Tora frowned as Ellie began pushing.

"Breathe." She mumbled softly and Ellie began taking deep breaths.

Diego began coaching Ellie and doing the breathing with her. "Getting dizzy." He said as he had to breathe normally again.

"Manny!" Diego cried and Manny began climbing up the rocks. "Come on, buddy. I think we're getting close."

A small cry echoed and the males turned to Ellie. Tora helped Ellie clean the small bundle quickly and she wrapped her in her trunk and moved to where Manny and Diego could see.

"She's perfect." Manny breathed as Tora moved away so Manny could be with Ellie. "I think we should call her Ellie. Little Ellie."

"I got a better name. Peaches." Ellie suggested.

"Peaches?"

"Why not? She's sweet and round and covered with fuzz."

"Peaches." Manny smiled. "I love it."

Diego wiped a tear from his eye gently and Tora smiled.

"I saw that, tough guy." Ellie called.

"No, no. That last dino caught my eye with a claw, and…"

"Oh come on Diego." Tora said, nudging her brother's shoulder.

"Alright, so I'm not made of stone." He laughed. Tora smiled as she watched the new family. Her thoughts once again turned to the pack and the similarities with the herd. She wasn't any less happy or excited for Peaches coming into this world than she would have been for a saber cub.

"Incoming!"

Everyone looked up to see a pteranodon flown by Buck, Crash, and Eddie carrying Sid toward them.

"It's Sid!" Tora cried happily. The pteranodon crashed into the ground and sent Sid sprawling.

"It's a boy!" He cried

"That's its tail." Diego corrected and Tora curled a lip in disgust at the thought of why Sid looked there first.

"It's a girl!" He cried once more. "Hi, sweetheart. Hello, hello! It's Uncle Sid. Yes, it is." he cooed. "You're so beautiful. She is! She looks just like her mother. Thank goodness." He said before glancing at Manny. "No offense, Manny! No offense. You're beautiful on the inside!"

"It's good to have you back, Sid." Manny smiled.

"Never thought I would say this, but I missed you, buddy." Diego said gently.

"We all missed you." Tora said, nudging her head against his gently.

"Now I wish my kids were here. You could have been friends." Sid smiled sadly.

"Ellie!" Crash and Eddie said happily before they stopped and dolled at Peaches.

"I promised myself I wouldn't cry." Crash sniffed.

"I didn't." Eddie burst into tear and blew his nose in his brother's tail.

"I forgot what it was like to be part of a family." Buck said softly. "What about you?" He asked, looking at the flying dino. "Ever thought about having kids?" The dino squawked and flew off.

"All right, mammals, let's get you home." Buck said.

The herd let Ellie rest for a while more before Manny helped her to her feet. Peaches could already stand and stumble a few steps at a time but none of them felt like it would be very safe. Buck bounced between the two sabers, who had gotten quite good at discerning the scents of the strange jungle. As they led, Manny still as cautious as before and wouldn't let Peaches or Ellie stray more than a few feet from his side. Eventually, Buck led them back.

"This is it, mammals. Right where you started. This was fun! We could make it a regular thing."

"I don't know about that." Manny said cautiously.

"Right! Right. Yes, because of all the mortal peril, of course." Buck waved his hand in the air and Tora couldn't help but smile at the weasel. "Well, the Buck stops here."

"We couldn't have done it without you."

"Well, obviously. But good times, just the…" Buck paused, standing straighter, a breathe from an unknown animal ruffling his fur. "We're not alone, are we?" He asked.

He spun around quickly and pulled out his knife, large red eyes glowing inside the cave. "Hello, Rudy."

The large grey-white dinosaur crawled out of the cave and stood on its two legs. It roared, louder than the mom dinosaur and it sent shivers through the herd.

"Run!"

The mammals turned and started running, only to find that they were no match for the dinosaurs speed and they were cornered.

"Over here, you colossal fossil!" Buck yelled from behind the dinosaur. He waved his knife tauntingly and smiled. "Looking for something?"

Rudy licked the gap where his tooth was supposed to be and his eyes narrowed. "Why don't you come and get it!" Buck cried, running off.

"To the cave! Go!" Buck ordered as Rudy chased him angrily.

Manny led Ellie to the cave quickly. "Stay with the baby." He ordered

"We'll be fine." Ellie promised. "Go."

The two sabers glanced at each other before they took off, leading Manny and Sid after Buck.

They passed the dinosaur who had first chased them and Diego paused. "Wuss." Diego snapped before catching up with the others.

The group managed to catch up with Rudy and Buck just as the large dinosaur brought it's giant hand on top of Buck. The knife laid stuck in the dirt, but Buck was nowhere to be seen underneath Rudy's hand.

The group slowed and Tora's fur bristled in shock. "No." She breathed, practically shaking with fear. Much to everyone's surprise, Buck appeared between Rudy's toes.

"Pop goes the weasel!" He teased.

He grabbed his knife and continued running. Rudy brought his tail to the ground, sending Buck flying into the air. Before he could eat the weasel, Diego jumped, grabbing Buck in mid air, dropping him gently onto the ground. Rudy growled as he turned toward Buck and Diego.

"Come on!" Tora cried, leading the two through large overhanging plants.

Their movements disturbed several butterflies, which distracted Rudy. Buck swung on a vine while the others wrapped vines around his feet and knocked him to the ground.

"Better luck next time, snowflake." Buck said with surprising gentleness as he petted the Dino's nose.

"This isn't going to hold him long!" Buck warned. "Let's go!"

They took off running, not realizing that Sid was farther behind.

"Hold up, guys!" He called before he tripped over one of the vines holding Rudy. The dinosaurs eye snapped open and he stretched, breaking the vines easily. The mammals tensed in fear but before the Dino could do any real harm, a T-Rex slammed into his side, pushing him back.

"Way to go, Momzilla!" Sid cried as the mom dinosaur pushed Rudy off of the cliff and he disappeared with a roar.

As did began having a "conversation" with his Dino family, Tora turned to Diego. She nudged his ribs gently and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine." He promised but Tora rolled her eyes and continued to look her brother over. His breathing was normal which reassured her greatly.

Before she could say more, he glanced at her shoulder. "Are YOU alright?" He asked seriously.

Tora blinked and rolled her shoulders. It was a little stiff but she hadn't even noticed while she was running, which caused her to smile. "It's fine.

"Can I baby-sit for you?" Sis was asking Manny.

"Not a chance."

"Come on. I work cheap!"

"All right, I'll think about it." Manny seems to relent.

"Yes!"

"Never happen." Manny whispered to the two sabers.

Tora couldn't help but notice that Buck hadn't joined in the conversation and was instead staring over the cliff. She returned to his side, Diego with her.

"He's gone. What am I supposed to do now?" Buck whispered.

"That's easy. Come with us." Ellie suggested from behind them.

Tora blinked in surprise before nodding. "You'll like being in a herd."

"You mean up there? I never thought of going back. I've been down here so long, it feels like up to me. I'm not sure I can fit in up there anymore." Buck said nervously.

"So? Look at us. We look like a normal herd to you?" Tora laughed. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Peaches would be the safest mammoth in the world with two sabers AND a knife wielding weasel."

The herd made their way up the dinosaur skeleton they used to come into the dino world. Buck walked at the back and the sabers decided to join him instead of their customary position in the front. Although Tora wouldn't admit it, the Dino world was quite interesting and she knew Diego liked it as well so she could understand Bucks reluctance to leave. But as a snowy breeze blew into the cave, she smiled and felt the joy of returning to the world she knew.

"So long, big guy." Buck said as he stuck his knife into the dinosaur skeleton.

Suddenly, a familiar roar echoed through the cave, ringing in the ears of the mammals.

"That's our cue! Come on, Peaches." Manny said quickly, leading Ellie and Peaches out of the cave.

"He's alive!" Buck said in astonishment.

The two sabers paused from following the herd and looked at the weasel. Tora smiled sadly as she say the longing way he looked at the cave, she had seen it in Diego before and she knew what was to come.

"Buck?" Diego asked.

"I... I got to…" Buck gestured over his shoulder and Diego smiled.

"Yeah." Diego agreed.

"It's where you belong." Tora said kindly.

"Besides, this world should really stay down here. Take care of them, Tigers." He said.

""Always listen to Buck."" Diego said with a smile.

Tora leapt down to Buck and nuzzled him gently. "We'll never forget you." She promised, and as she felt the necklace shift against her fur, she knew she would keep this promise, just as she had with the human.

Buck tore the knife from the skeleton and swung away, cutting the vines that held said skeleton as he went.

This caused the cave to start crumpling and both sabers scrambled after the herd desperately.

"We're almost out!" Manny cried.

The two sabers barely managed to escape the cave, the rocks nearly crushing them but they all managed to land in the snow, breathing heavily.

"Is everybody okay?" Manny asked.

"Where's Buck?" Ellie asked worriedly.

"Don't worry. He's where he wants to be." Diego comforted her.

"He's where he belongs." Tora confirmed.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Eddie asked sadly. "Are you kidding? Nothing could kill that weasel." Diego laughed.

"It's Rudy I'm worried about." Tora added. "I don't know if he can handle Buck."

Ellie set Peaches down gently and Tora moved to her friends side, smiling as Peaches dabbed at the snowflakes in the air.

"I know this "baby makes three" thing

isn't for you two, but whatever you decide to do…" Manny said to Diego.

"We're not leaving, buddy." Diego said, watching his sister happily. "Life of adventure? It's right here."

"But I got a whole speech here.

I've been working on it. How can I show you that I'm strong and sensitive? Noble yet caring?" Diego rolled his eyes and punched Manny's shoulder. "Thanks."

"They grow so fast, huh? Yeah. I mean, look at my kids. Seems like they were born one day and then gone the next." Sid said, watching as Peaches played with Tora and Ellie.

"They were, Sid." Manny said with a sigh.

"Yeah. That was a lot of work."

Tora rolled in the snow and then gently shook the snow onto Peaches who giggled and began gently smoothing the snow still stuck on Tora's pelt.

"That's right, sweetheart. Welcome to the Ice Age." Ellie said gently.

Tora smiled and allowed Peaches to continue playing with the snow and she soon found the necklace. She touched it gently before throwing snow in the air and Tora laughed. She caught Diego's eye and saw that he was smiling. No matter how they felt at times, they belonged with the herd and that was where they were going to stay.


	6. Chapter 6

**Like I promised, another chapter. This is two oneshots explaining Tora and Diego's past somewhat (and some fluffiness), and the second establishes the relationship with Tora and Peaches a little, something that will be touched on in the next story. I'm going to try and start on Continental Drift this weekend but I won't have much wifi so no promises. Enjoy!**

 **Word Count: 1553**

Peaches had grown since they had exited the Dino world. She was still quite young but she had learned how to speak in mostly full sentences and enjoyed asking (pestering) her uncles and aunt for answers.

Some of her first words (after obviously mom and dad) had been "Uncle Sid", "Uncle Diego", and "Auntie Tora". Sid took it in stride, often talking of how he wished his kids were there to play with Peaches. Diego pretended to be annoyed by it but everyone knew that he loved his niece and enjoyed when she spoke so enthusiastically to him. Tora didn't pretend to dislike it but she never went out of her way to saw anything about it. Whenever Peaches called her Aunt, Tora would smile widely but there as a small bit of sadness mixed with the happy, but even she couldn't tell that it was there most of the time. Diego felt it to, he had frozen the first time Peaches referred to him as uncle.

And one day, Peaches unintentionally struck an open wound of sorts with a very innocent question one night by the fire.

"Uncle Sid? Where are your mommy and daddy?" She asked with wide eyes.

Sid blinked and then laughed. "They are off doing what they want. They left me behind by accident but I met up with your dad and now I'm with the herd." He said happily.

Tora flicked her ear when he said his family left him by accident but didn't comment. Even the sloth was smart enough to realize that Peaches wouldn't understand everything.

"What about you Auntie Tora? Where are you and Uncle Diego's mommy and daddy?"

Tora blinked, and glanced at her brother who has also tensed and Ellie was looking at them worriedly. Neither of them knew quite how to explain so Tora took a deep breathe but Diego beat her to it.

"Our mom and dad aren't around anymore. They…. had to leave." He said quickly, although he hesitated when he said it.

"Where'd they go?" Peaches questioned.

Tora frowned, attempting to think of a way to explain death to her innocent niece. Her mind flicked to a story her mother once told her and Diego as cubs.

"You see those stars?" She asked, pointing towards the sky. "Our mother said that when it was time to leave for good, you chose a star and walked into the sky. All the great sabers from our pack are there."

Peaches stared at the sky in wonder. "Will I be a star?"

Ellie smiled at her daughter as Diego nodded. "Not for a very long time Peaches. But yes."

Peaches smiled contently before she returned to her mother's side. After a few minutes, she was sound asleep and silence enfolded the herd.

"So what did happen to your parents?" Sid asked innocently. "I mean, when we first met you it was just Soto and those three other sabers."

Tora sighed and shifted closer to her brother, drawing comfort from him and he glanced at her, obviously asking whether or not she wanted to tell them. She shrugged and once again prepared herself.

"Our parents were betas of our pack. That means second in command." She added when she saw Sids confused look.

"Sotos parents were the leaders but because our parents were betas, we got to hunt and learn to lead like Soto." Diego added.

"We were hunting one day when humans came out of the forest. More than we could count. They threw their spears and…." Tora trailed off with a shudder and Diego licked her ear gently before taking over.

"They killed over half of our pack, including our parents and the alphas. Three were wounded and died afterwards. They took the fur and used it as their own. That's why our pack was so small when we met you." He said, directing the last statement at Manny and Sid.

"That explains why you hated the humans so much." Sid said, happy with the information.

Tora nodded and looked up at the stars. "I wasn't lying to Peaches." She said softly, but everyone heard her and stared at her curiously. "Sabers believe that when we die, we climb to the stars. It's comforting I guess. To think that they are there." Ellie glanced at Manny, who was also staring at the sky. "All animals become stars." Tora added, no longer looking at the sky but at Manny. "That's why there are so many."

A small, sad smile spread on Mannys face and he wrapped his trunk silently with Ellie's. Sid sighed and Crash and Eddie leaned against each other. A strange sense of unity, more powerful than normal, swept through them. As she slept, Peaches smiled, although she had no way of knowing that her question had caused such a sense of peace in the herd.

* * *

Peaches has just entered her teens and Manny was still very overprotective. He didn't allow Peaches anywhere without an escort and more often than not he sent Tora with her. Although Tora believed that Manny was overreacting, she liked spending time with her niece. They would explore their home and they would talk. As Peaches got older, however, she grew to despise her Aunt watching over her. It was such a day that Peaches sighed in annoyance as they walked towards the watering hole and Tora looked at her in confusion.

"Is everything alright Peaches?" She asked in confusion. She knew her niece had been trying to talk to some of the new mammoths who had made their home nearby but she had no idea why she would be upset.

"It's just… I don't get why dad thinks I need a babysitter. I'm old enough to take care of myself." Peaches frowned.

Tora blinked and watched Peaches in surprise. "Your dad cares about you. And he worries. It's only natural that he does. You are getting older." She added when Peaches opened her mouth to protest. "But that doesn't mean you can go places alone."  
"But I'm just going to the water hole! The other mammoths are there! I wouldn't be in any danger." Peaches whined.

Tora sighed and shook her head. "Peaches, the world is dangerous. And my dad asked me to watch you."  
"Maybe I don't want you watching me!" Peaches snapped and took off, using the trees to swing away from Tora.

Tora sighed and waited a few moments before following. Peaches had gone to the water hole and she seemed to believe Tora didn't follow her because she was talking to some of the young mammals that were there. Tora sat down quietly on a hill overlooking the water and watched Peaches carefully. She didn't blame the young mammoth for wanting space but she also didn't want to betray Manny's trust and leave her alone.

She watched her niece for a few hours until something caught her attention. A deer like creature was sneering at her. The wind blew the words to Tora and she growled softly. "You're the mammoth who sleeps in the trees aren't you? Why are you so strange?"  
Peaches swished her tail worriedly. "I'm not strange."

"Yes you are! You've got possums and sloths for uncles! And they babysit you! But they aren't here today, are they?" The deer laughed. The deer chucked a rock at Peaches and hit her shoulder. It didn't do any real damage but it spurred Tora into motion.

Before Peaches could respond, Tora made her way down the hill and stopped beside her. "She also has sabers watching over her." She stopped herself from growling at the child and instead looked at him calmly.

The deer tensed and stared at her before backing up. "I…. I…" he stuttered.

Tora watched him before flicking her ear. "Perhaps it is good to be strange, especially when you have family that will protect you."

The deer's eyes widened with fear but Tora simply nudged Peaches and led her back up the hill. She stopped once they were under the trees and sniffed her niece's shoulder carefully.

"I'm fine Auntie Tora." Peaches mumbled and Tora sighed, sitting in front of her.

"Is that why you didn't want me watching you? Because those kids were saying things?" She asked softly.

Peaches shrugged. "I mean, he'd said something to me the other day when Sid was with me."

Tora flicked her ear in surprise. "Sid never said anything."  
"Because I didn't tell him about it." Peaches mumbled.

"Does it bother you?"

Peaches sighed. "I don't know. I just don't like not being normal."  
Tora laughed softly. "Peaches, normal is boring. Look at us. We are a herd of mammoths, possums, sloths, and sabers. None of us are normal."  
Peaches smiled a little. "I guess you're right."  
Tora nudged her gently. "I'll tell you what. Whenever your dad wants me to watch you, I'll watch from the hill. And I won't help you unless you need it."  
Peaches nodded slowly. "Ya. Okay. I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier."  
Tora smiled. "It's alright Peaches. Let's get home. Hopefully Sid won't burn himself making the fire tonight!" She said hopefully as the two made their way back towards the herd's home.

However much her niece despised it, every member of the herd would do anything to protect her.


End file.
